Sofia Josna Showdagor, a girl with bad luck finds herself enchanted by the numbers whispered by her substitute math teacher, Jack Sebastian Barlet.
#5 in Bangladesh (25 June,2024)
The sky and ocean shared a common hue, both cloaked in a dreamy blue. The water shimmered like sapphire gems, dancing in the light.The air was thick with the scent of salt and the whispers of the ocean. Sagir didn't want to leave Sofia's side, Jack was busy daydreaming and Sofia was hypnotized by the seashore's enchanting grace.They spent the entire noon at the seashore and almost forgot about having lunch. Eventually, all of them went back to the mansion.Jack showed Sofia the room which she would be staying in for the next 5 days.The room was infused with the delicate scent of jasmine. "The bed is so huge, it can fit eight people at least," Sofia thought. Jack quickly said,"You can call Mrs.giulia and other servants if you need anything" and left the room. She immediately covered her face with her hands and threw herself into the bed as soon as he left the room. "How am I going to survive the next 5 days?" She sighed. She sat quietly in the dim light of her room, staring at the woods through the window, thinking of Mira, her cat. After all her cat was the only friend she had before meeting Jack.The memory of Mira's soft purring and the gentle nudge of his head against her hand brought a pang of longing to her chest.She missed her cat terribly, imagining that ink-blob looking furball back home, curled up in her favorite sunlit spot. After a few while,as Sofia was deep in her thoughts, she heard a gentle knock at the door. She opened the door and a maid informed her that it was time for an afternoon tea.The maid led her to the sunroom. There Sofia saw Mrs.Giulia Pouring tea in tea-cups and chatting with Jack. Sagir's face was covered with cupcake frosting. She sat beside him and he said, "Would you like a cupcake, Ms.Sofia?" Sofia looked at him adoringly and thought, "He's so adorable, I wish I had a sibling like him." Mrs.Giulia handed her a cup and asked, "Would you like some biscuits with your tea, dear?" "Sure, of course." Sofia replied. Mrs.Giulia came back to her with a plate full of chocolate biscuits. "Wow, the biscuits taste premium, did you bake them?" "No, no I'm not a good baker, my son does the baking." "Your son?" "Yeah, you probably have seen him, he mostly works as a gardener here, he's about your age. If you don't mind me asking, how old did you turn dear?" "I turned 18." Sofia replied with a smile. "Ah, just the same age as my boy." Mrs. Giulia looked outside the Sunroom, "There's my boy." "Lieven could you come here." She shouted at the boy. The boy didn't reply. Sofia couldn't look down to see him from her angle. She was quite interested in the boy who baked the chocolate biscuits. Lieven came to the Sunroom, he was wearing a black t-shirt, buttons loose, showing his ripped body,his sleeves rolled just below his elbow, his hands covered by crimson gardening gloves.
It was the same gardener Sofia had eyed earlier, the boy looked even more handsome up close. Sawdust hair, eyelashes that would put even the biggest models to shame,blue eyes that matched the colors of the seashore,a body that of a demi-god. Literally towering over everyone, he looked taller than Jack. Sofia was beyond flustered.
He looked quite uninterested. "Sofia, this is Lieven, my only boy and Lieven, this is Sofia" Mrs. Giulia introduced the both of them "Yeah,I know her name, it was written basically everywhere in the mansion." Lieven said as he put his nonchalant eyes towards Sofia. "What an asshole." Sofia thought. "Uhh anyways, the biscuits you baked tasted magnificent, I definitely need the recipe though." "Thank you." "Holy cow, is that all he has to say, I already hate him but even I cannot deny his charms, obviously I still think no one can top over Mr. Substitute teacher, but still-",she thought furiously. "The recipe, ha ha?" Sofia smiled trying to ease the awkward situation. "I'll give it to you by tomorrow." "His face and his hobbies don't align and it pisses me off" she thought. "Anyways, Ms. Sofia and mom, but I have work to do now, so I'm going" "Just call me Sofia. Goodbye to you too." He didn't reply, just looked at Sofia over his shoulders and left. "What a douchebag," she muttered to herself.
The afternoon tea had ended. "Sagir, it's time for your afternoon Italian lessons." "Do I have to go today, Ms. Sofias here, I wanna play with her?" "No, you can't neglect it little bro, father expects something big from you, you're almost fluent in it, you can do it." "He takes Italian lessons?" Sofia asked. "Yeah, unlike me, he grew up in Bangladesh. So he hasn't been fluent since birth. I try my hardest to teach him. Besides, I don't plan on taking over my Father's company, I want him to become father's successor." "Oh." "He really is selfless." She thought. "I don't like learning Italian at all, it's so hard.It feels Like a puzzle, but the pieces keep changing, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY GO!" Sagir cried out. "Sagir, learn it for me atleast?" Sofia patted the little boy in the head. "If you say so, Ms. Sofia" he replied. Jack is awed at Sofia's ability to make Sagir obey. "Sagir never listens to anyone's order except me and Benna's. This time he didn't want to listen to me either, but he listened to her. She really is something." They studied together for about an hour and a half. Eventually Jack closed their study session as Sagir shouted "I AM FINALLY FREE" Jack went to the balcony to clear his mind but unfortunate for him, Sofia was already there, her hair was down, she was sitting on a bench beside the railing.She was staring at the roses blankly as if a train of thoughts was running inside her mind. The balcony was a living sea of rose bushes. The air was thick with their intoxicating fragrance, a heady perfume that clung to every breath, making the world outside this haven feel distant, almost unreal. The roses reached out in every direction. "She looks different with her hair down and without glasses, but no less breathtaking. I can't afford to let my sanity slip away." He thought. She looked at Jack. "You seem to be deep in thoughts, Mr.Jack. Is everything alright?" He sat beside her and sighed, "I was thinking about you actually, I took you out to a different country, I shouldn't have honestly." "Mr. Jack, the reason I agreed to journey with you to Italy was to check on Mrs.Benna's condition in the hospital, but fate wove a miracle in our blood, and I was able to give her life again. She holds a special place in my heart, too. So, please, don't trouble yourself over me; everything will find its way to be alright. Besides, I like Italy. It's nice out here and I'm going back home 5 days from now. I'll get to tell people about my crazy trip, haha, don't worry about me." "I cannot help myself." He said. "From falling for you no matter how much I try to hold back." He thought.
There was a pause, "Oh, there's something I wanna show you, I'll be right back." He came back with a guitar in his hand. "I've told you before, my father cannot play the guitar but this was the first guitar he bought. I believe he was your age when he bought it." "This guitar looks cool." "It is." "And since It's your birthday," "I hope you like it." saying that jack started playing some tunes of a love song. He smiled at her and cleared his throat,His fingers danced across the guitar strings, coaxing out a melody that danced on the breeze. The tune was gentle, a whispered confession carried on notes that trembled with unspoken longing. His voice, rich and warm, wove through the air, each word a brushstroke on the canvas of the night.
In the soft embrace of twilight, the rose-bush balcony was a sanctuary where the world fell away. The air was fragrant with the perfume of roses, their petals catching the last glimmers of sunlight, painting the evening in hues of crimson and gold.
Jack sat on a weathered bench, his guitar nestled against him like an old friend. His fingers moved tenderly over the strings, coaxing out a melody that danced on the breeze. The tune was gentle, a whispered confession carried on notes that trembled with unspoken longing. His voice, rich and warm, wove through the air, each word a brushstroke on the canvas of the night.
His voice made her heart flutter. Her eyes were fixed on him as if he were the very essence of the music. The song spoke to her soul, the only thing she wanted to do at that moment was to kiss him and tell him how much she loved him. This would have been the perfect opportunity to tell him.But alas, fate was cruel.
The song ended, Sofia was looking at Jack with wide eyes, her cheeks as red as ever. Jack asked, "Did you like it?" She couldn't answer immediately, a few seconds passed then she said, "I-I, no one has done so much for me before, it was so beautiful, angelic. I haven't ever heard anyone sing this beautifully. Is your voice made of honey?" Surprised at her answer, Jack started blushing too, "T-Thanks for the compliment."
Both of them couldn't keep eye contact with each other, it was quite awkward, then all of a sudden Jack's phone started ringing.
He looked at his phone, A video call from Benna. He picked it up, "Ohh Jack, my boy!! Where's the birthday girl!" "She's here beside me." Jack answered with a smile. Sofia was still flustered from Jack's song. Jack told Sofia to come close and she did somehow, "Ah there you are dear, Happy birthday Sofia! Thank you so much for everything, I feel bad you did so much for me yet I couldn't be there physically to see you." "Mrs. Benna, it's okay, don't be sorry, you gaining cosciousness is the best gift I could ask from you." "You're such a kind girl, this is why I picked you to babysit my little boy." "Oh also, Fernando, my husband wants to say something to you too, he's a little shy on camera." "Hey, I am not shy on camera!!" A deep voice came from beside Mrs.Benna. "Honey, come here, they want to see you on camera." "Fine, since it's the girl's birthday." Fernando came on screen. "Uhm, little girl, I have something to tell you. Thank you so much for donating blood for my wife and I'm sorry, I should have treated you right from the start, I misjudged you and it was fully my fault. Is there anything you want? If it's possible by me, I would do it" "Woah this weirdo actually apologized, The only thing I want is to be with Jack, but no one can help with that." she thought "Thank you for the offer Mr. Barlet, but I don't need anything and I accept your apology." "I might sound petty right now but I don't care," thought Sofia. "The offer's always open, Sofia, ask Jack to call me and he will." "I wouldn't need it but thank you either ways" Benna took the phone from Fernando, Jack, Sofia and Benna talked for a while and the video call ended. "I am glad everythings almost back to normal," said Jack. "Me too." "Hey, since you will be here for a while, do you want to go out tomorrow, we will explore the city?" Hesitating for a second, Sofia replied, "Yes, I'd love to."
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Sketch of Benna in her 20's (inspired by hedy Lamarr :>)
